Brassiere and front panel for brassiere

Abstract

A brassiere includes bra cups holding a wearer's breasts. A shaping foam layer is sandwiched between outer and inner layers of each bra cup and extends from a lower to an upper edge of each cup. A support shelf assembly spans across a lower portion of each bra cup and includes a support component located proximate the lower edge of the cups, a non-stretch stabilizer fabric layer spanning between both cups and along a full length of the support component, and a supportive foam layer spanning between both cups and along the support component. The inner, outer, shaping foam, stabilizer fabric, and supportive foam layers span across a center gore that connects the bra cups to form a front panel of the brassiere. The support shelf assembly is molded between the inner layer and the shaping foam layer and is an embedded, integral part of the front panel.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A brassiere comprising:
 a pair of bra cups, each bra cup in the pair of bra cups configured to hold one of a wearer's breasts; 
 each bra cup having an inner layer configured to contact the wearer's skin; 
 each bra cup having an outer layer opposing the inner layer; 
 each bra cup having a shaping foam layer sandwiched between the inner and outer layers of the respective bra cup, wherein the shaping foam layer extends from a lower edge of the respective bra cup to an upper edge of the respective bra cup; and 
 each bra cup having a support shelf assembly between the inner and outer layers of the respective bra cup and spanning across at least a lower portion of the respective bra cup, the support shelf assembly comprising:
 a plastic support component located proximate the lower edge of the respective bra cup; 
 a non-stretch stabilizer fabric layer located along a full length of the support component; 
 a first supportive foam layer located along the support component; and 
 a second supportive foam layer located along the support component, the second supportive foam layer being located on an opposite side of the support component than the first supportive foam layer; 
 
 wherein the inner layer, the outer layer, the support shelf assembly, and the shaping foam layer are molded together such that the support shelf assembly is an embedded, integral part of the lower portion of the respective bra cup, and during the molding process, the support component is directly fused to at least one of the first supportive foam layer and the second supportive foam layer on either side of the support component. 
 
     
     
       2. The brassiere of  claim 1 , wherein during the molding process, the support component is directly fused to both the first supportive foam layer and the second supportive foam layer on either side of the support component. 
     
     
       3. The brassiere of  claim 1 , wherein the stabilizer fabric layer is located on an opposite side of the second supportive foam layer than the support component, and during the molding process, the second supportive foam layer is directly fused to the stabilizer fabric layer. 
     
     
       4. The brassiere of  claim 1 , wherein the support component is an undulating, W-shaped molded body configured to support an underside of the wearer's breasts. 
     
     
       5. The brassiere of  claim 1 , wherein the stabilizer fabric layer, the first supportive foam layer, and the second supportive foam layer of the support shelf assembly all have an undulating shape configured to mimic a curvature of an underside of the wearer's breasts. 
     
     
       6. The brassiere of  claim 1 , wherein the brassiere comprises two lateral halves, each half of the brassiere comprising one of the bra cups, and further comprising a zipper that couples the two halves of the brassiere together. 
     
     
       7. The brassiere of  claim 6 , wherein the support component comprises two lateral halves, each half of the support component being a U-shaped molded body configured to support an underside of a respective one of the wearer's breasts. 
     
     
       8. The brassiere of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the inner layer of each bra cup comprises an inner liner fabric laminated to an inner foam layer, and the inner liner fabric is configured to contact the wearer's skin; and 
 the stabilizer fabric of the support shelf assembly comprises 100% polyester. 
 
     
     
       9. The brassiere of  claim 1 , wherein the inner and outer layers and the shaping foam layer of each bra cup and the first supportive foam layer, the second supportive foam layer, and the stabilizer fabric layer of the support shelf assembly all extend below a lower edge of the support component. 
     
     
       10. A brassiere comprising:
 a pair of bra cups, each bra cup in the pair of bra cups configured to hold one of a wearer's breasts; 
 an inner layer of the pair of bra cups configured to contact the wearer's skin; 
 an outer layer of the pair of bra cups opposing the inner layer; 
 a support shelf assembly of the pair of bra cups between the inner and outer layers of the pair of bra cups and spanning across at least a lower portion of each bra cup, the support shelf assembly comprising:
 a plastic support component located proximate a lower edge of each bra cup; 
 a first supportive foam layer located along a first side of the support component; 
 a second supportive foam layer located along an opposite second side of the support component; and 
 a non-stretch stabilizer fabric layer located along the second side of the support component; 
 
 wherein the inner layer, the outer layer, and the support shelf assembly are molded together such that the support shelf assembly is an embedded, integral part of the lower portion of each bra cup, and during the molding process, the support component is directly fused to at least one of the first supportive foam layer, the second supportive foam layer, and the stabilizer fabric layer on either side of the support component. 
 
     
     
       11. The brassiere of  claim 10 , wherein the stabilizer fabric layer is located on an opposite side of the second supportive foam layer than the support component. 
     
     
       12. The brassiere of  claim 11 , wherein during the molding process, the support component is directly fused to the first supportive foam layer and the second supportive foam layer on either side of the support component, and the stabilizer fabric layer is directly fused to the opposite side of the second supportive foam layer. 
     
     
       13. The brassiere of  claim 10 , further comprising a shaping foam layer of the pair of bra cups sandwiched between the inner and outer layers of the pair of bra cups, wherein the shaping foam layer extends from the lower edge of each bra cup to an upper edge of each bra cup. 
     
     
       14. The brassiere of  claim 10 , wherein the support component is an undulating, W-shaped molded body configured to support an underside of the wearer's breasts. 
     
     
       15. The brassiere of  claim 10 , wherein the stabilizer fabric layer is made of 100% polyester weft knit interlock. 
     
     
       16. A brassiere comprising:
 a pair of bra cups, each bra cup in the pair of bra cups configured to hold one of a wearer's breasts; 
 an inner layer of the pair of bra cups configured to contact the wearer's skin; 
 an outer layer of the pair of bra cups opposing the inner layer; and 
 a support shelf assembly between the inner and outer layers of the pair of bra cups and spanning across at least a lower portion of each respective bra cup, the support shelf assembly comprising:
 a plastic support component located proximate a lower edge of each respective bra cup; 
 a non-stretch stabilizer fabric layer spanning between both bra cups and along a full length of the support component; and 
 a first supportive foam layer spanning between both bra cups and along the support component; and 
 
 a shaping foam layer sandwiched between the inner and outer layers of the pair of bra cups, wherein the shaping foam layer extends from the lower edge of each respective bra cup to an upper edge of each respective bra cup; 
 wherein the inner layer, the outer layer, the support shelf assembly, and the shaping foam layer are molded together such that the support shelf assembly is an embedded, integral part of the lower portion of each respective bra cup, and during the molding process, the support component is directly fused to the first supportive foam layer. 
 
     
     
       17. The brassiere of  claim 16 , further comprising a second supportive foam layer spanning between both bra cups and along the support component, the second supportive foam layer being located on an opposite side of the support component than the first supportive foam layer. 
     
     
       18. The brassiere of  claim 17 , wherein the stabilizer fabric layer is located on an opposite side of the second supportive foam layer than the support component. 
     
     
       19. The brassiere of  claim 18 , wherein during the molding process, the support component is directly fused to the first supportive foam layer and the second supportive foam layer on either side of the support component, and the stabilizer fabric layer is directly fused to the opposite side of the second supportive foam layer. 
     
     
       20. The brassiere of  claim 16 , wherein the first supportive foam layer is between the shaping foam layer and the support component.